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BORN
1935
DIED
2021
Barbara Sipes Obituary
Barbara Ann Sipes passed away on August 2, 2021. Born May 26, 1935, in Topeka, Kansas. Barb won the first full basketball scholarship at Iowa Wesleyan College. She was a member of US Teams that traveled the world.
Barb led the US Team that won the Rio World Tournament in 1957, upsetting the USSR in the last 3.5 seconds.
Barb taught school for 36 years with the last 19 in Dexfield, Iowa. Barb always loved teaching school.
Barb is preceded in death by her parents Oran and Muriel (Spaulding) Sipes and brother Robert.
Burial: 11:00 AM, 8/12/2021 at Mount Hope Cemetery, 4700 SW 17th St.
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Memories and Condolences
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2 Entries
Joe Raftis
October 4, 2021
My sympathy to Miss Barbara Sipes family and friends. Miss Sipes was the P.E. Teacher at Clive Elementary in Windsor Heights Iowa for several years in the 60´s and 70´s and had an impact on my brother and I as well as many of our classmates. She was influential in inspiring the kids to strive for good physical health as well as being good sports. To this day when I am at a sporting event and I hear people booing I reflect back on Miss Sipes and how she was intolerant at anybody booing or disrespecting athletes, coaches of referees. For many years she refereed games before school started between classroom organized teams and if she heard a boo her whistle would blow and she would " clear the gymnasium" To this day I am still passionate about the game of Basketball and she was an early influence that helped to ignite my passion for the game. She was an exceptional basketball player for her era. The picture shows her in the middle( great post player)
May God Grant Miss Barbara Sipes eternal rest and may perpetual light shine upon her.
Marlene Donahue
August 12, 2021
Barb and I both played softball in Topeka in the late 1950s and early 1960s. We were friendly opponents as she was a catcher for Smith´s Plumbing and I was a catcher for Ohse Meats. Barb was 6 ft. 3" and I was 5 ft. 1." Quite a contrast between the two of us! I recall Barb as being a warm, nice person who was always very friendly. When I was a sophomore in high school, I read a sports page article in the Kansas City Star about Barb being on the United States women´s basketball team that toured the Soviet Union in 1957. She was in college at Iowa Wesleyan at that time. Barb´s parents operated a flower and garden shop in Topeka. My mother had worked with Mrs. Sipes during the war at a supply depot. Because I was so excited to read about Barb, my mom took me to the Sipes´ store to meet Mrs. Sipes and talk about her daughter. I remember Mrs. Sipes being so gracious to us. She showed me several pictures and told us stories about Barb and the trip to the Soviet Union. Later, I watched Barb play basketball when Iowa Wesleyan had a game in Kansas City. Little did I realize that I would someday meet Barb and compete against her in softball. Those are days and times that I cherish.
Condolences and sympathy to Barb´s family and friends. She was a very respected and worthy opponent.
"Scooter"
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